Drew Barrymore dropped as Book Awards host following strike controversy
The foundation for the National Book Awards has confirmed Drew Barrymore will no longer be presenting the ceremony following backlash due to the actor’s decision to ignore the writers’ strikes and bring her talk show back on air.
“The National Book Awards is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture,” it said in a statement. “In light of the announcement that The Drew Barrymore Show will resume production, the National Book Foundation has rescinded Ms. Barrymore’s invitation to host the 74th National Book Awards Ceremony.”
On September 11th, union members of the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) picketed outside CBS studios, where The Drew Barrymore show had resumed filming for the first time since April with at least three unionised staff on the writing team absent.
The network confirmed that the show would return on September 18th and announced that it wouldn’t use material “covered by the WGA strike”, effectively circumventing union writers. This is a similar tactic used by ABC for The View.
Barrymore, who had previously stepped down as host of the MTV and Movie Awards in May in solidarity with striking writers, was met with a slew of backlash and criticism online for her involvement in the decision. Taking to Instagram, the actor defended the show’s return, saying, “I want to be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience.”
Colson Whitehead, an author who won the award in 2016, drew attention to the foundation for the problematic hosting by Barrymore of the ceremony. Following her removal from the Book Awards, the foundation said, “We are grateful to Ms. Barrymore and her team for their understanding in this situation.”
Earlier in the year, when Barrymore was initially given the role, the foundation praised her dedication and commitment to “the enduring belief that books have the power to change readers’ lives.” The 2023 ceremony will occur at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan on November 15th.
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